Tag Archives: Manchester City

Manchester City have apparently agreed a deal with Mehdi Benatia, a defender who plays for Roma, according to tomorrow’s edition of La Gazetta dello Sport, the Italian newspaper.

Apparently, however, Roma, who have just qualified for the Champions League by finishing second in Serie A, are not keen to sell the Moroccan, who is considered a key part of their squad. Rudi Garcia, the Roma manager, is loath to lose a player who made 30 appearances last season.

Roma’s squad managed one of their best finishes in recent years last year, after the takeover by an American consortium. After blitzing their way through the league in the early part of the season, they slowly came undone and were overtaken by Juventus as the season wore on. Qualification for the Champions League was success enough however, with the likes of Francesco Totti, a mercurial 37, recapturing the sort of form he showed at a younger age. Garcia also got the best out of Premier League flop Gervinho, who had an exceptional season.

James Milner’s sudden desire to leave Manchester City has put both Arsenal and Liverpool on alert, with both sides expressing an interest in the England international, according to The Times. His desire to move stems from him finding himself on the fringes of the first team this season, with Pellegrini favouring other players to him.

With UEFA tightening their restrictions on City next season, including a need for eight homegrown talents in their shrunken 21-man Champions League squad, City are not particularly keen to lose a player who has developed into an incredibly versatile asset in the City squad.

Liverpool have lacked a player of Milner’s style in midfield, and this was symbolised by the manner in which they were repeatedly overrun after the sending off and subsequent suspension of Jordan Henderson during their clash with City.

Milner will take part in England’s World Cup efforts this summer. He is highly rated by manager Roy Hodgson, but Hodgson would find Milner’s selection ahead of other players who’ve played more football criticised.

A trio of Manchester City talents have made the provisional 30-man Argentinian World Cup squad, but former Manchester City and United man Carlos Tevez has seemingly missed out.

Sergio Aguero and Pablo Zabaleta have unsurprisingly made the cut, given their innate quality. Martin Demichelis is also part of Argentina’s setup this summer, with his staggering improvement in the Premier League boding well for Argentina’s defensive setup ahead of the tournament in Brazil.

Carlos Tevez’s exclusion comes as a slight shock, especially given the inclusion of former Wigan man Franco Di Santo ahead of him. Tevez has, however, struggled with injuries in the latter half of this season at Juventus, and questions must remain over his fitness.

Unsurprisingly, the likes of Lionel Messi, Gonzalo Higuain and Ezequiel Lavezzi have also made the squad.